Dr. Scott Hendrix, assistant professor of history at Carroll University, has published a new book that has been awarded the D. Simon Evans Prize for “Outstanding Contributions to Medieval Studies.”

How Albert the Great’s Speculum Astronomiae Was Interpreted and Used by Four Centuries of Readers: A Study in Late Medieval Medicine, Astronomy and Astrology was published this year by The Edwin Mellen Press.

The Speculum astronomiae by Albert the Great (Albertus Magnus) was written sometime after 1260 as an attempt to defend the science of astrology as being compatible with Christianity. The issue of astrology was much debated among medieval academics and ecclesiastical officials during the thirteenth century.

Hendrix’s book analyzes the ways in which the Speculum astronomiae set the terms for debate about astrology until the end of the 15th century, providing a set of arguments and a language of discussion that neither supporters nor opponents of astrology could ignore. The Speculum astronomiae was important for centuries after its production because of its usefulness to a wide-ranging audience, from astrologers and medical professionals to natural philosophers and those interested in doctrinal purity. It functioned both as an authenticating device supporting the knowledge or orthodoxy of the owner, as well as a bibliographic guide to the literature on astrology.